COUNTY NEWS: Changes to Compass bus times announced

Jennifer Logan

Compass Travel has announced bus timetable changes which will be introduced in the new year.

The timetable changes will be introduced on Monday, January 9.

Haywards Heath town centre routes 28 and 29 are being withdrawn and replaced by the route 30 which is being reinstated in response to many requests, a spokesperson from Compass Travel confirmed.

The bus generally provides an hourly service for most of the day Mondays to Saturdays with additional early morning commuter journeys from Lindfield to Haywards Heath railway station.

Route 31 will be extended in the daytime to Lindfield so that there will be two buses per hour between Lindfield, Haywards Heath and Princess Royal Hospital.

Route 31 will run between Lindfield, Haywards Heath and Uckfield generally hourly, the spokesperson said.

There will be new early morning and evening ‘commuter’ journeys between North Chailey, Northlands Wood and Haywards Heath.

Route 33 will only have a few minor journey changes Monday to Friday, but on Saturday afternoons it will only run between Hurstpierpoint and Burgess Hill.

An additional Monday to Saturday service will operate to Ashenground/Vale Road on route 39.

Route 37 is being withdrawn, but partially replaced by extended route 40, the spokesperson confirmed.

Route 39 will instead run between South Road and Princess Royal Hospital via Vale Road, Bolding Way and Colwell Road.

Burgess Hill Town Routes 134/5 and 136/7 are not being changed in route and frequencies – but instead will have some minor timetable changes.

There will be a new faster route 40 which will continue to run mainly hourly but timings will be extensively revised and some journeys will run beyond Cuckfield to Balcombe and Crawley in partial replacement for route 37 and to cater for scholars and shoppers.

There will be extra peak hour journeys to and from Brighton and in particular an improved half hourly frequency in the afternoon and evening peak period Mondays to Friday out of Brighton.

A new feature to speed journeys of longer distance passengers is that within Brighton the buses will no longer carry passengers locally at stops between Patcham, Carden Avenue and Churchill Square, where plenty of other buses will be available.

Passengers from points north of Patcham will still be able to alight on request at any designated stop into Brighton or board on request at any designated route 40 stop coming from Brighton.

Without constant stopping and starting in the Brighton area, this should make timekeeping more reliable and give a faster journey, the spokesperson said.

Timetable booklets are available to download by going onto the Compass Travel website via www.compass-travel.co.uk.

Information can also be obtained by telephoning 01903 690025.

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